Polar Bear Tournament is a go on Saturday

On Santa Barbara’s East Beach, the day before the Super Bowl means it's time for the Polar Bear beach volleyball tournament.The 30th annual co-ed doubles event is scheduled for Saturday, Feb. 5 at the East Beach courts. Signups will be taken on the morning of the event (8 a.m.). The first 100 players will receive a commemorative T-shirt. Entry fee is $35 per player.Part of uniqueness of the Polar Bear is it gives players of all skill levels the chance to combine as a team in the … [Read more...]

Todd, Phil make history with 9th FIVB title

Todd Rogers, Phil Dalhausser

It won’t make big headlines in the papers and it probably won’t be the lead story on the all-sports networks, but the accomplishment by Todd Rogers and Phil Dalhausser is worth trumpeting because it’s a historic moment in their sport.The local pro beach volleyball stars on Sunday became the first team to win nine tournaments on the FIVB World Tour when they outlasted Brazil’s Marcio Araujo and Ricardo Santos in the final of the PAF Open in Alaand, Finland. The game scores were 24-22, … [Read more...]

Eight is great for Rogers-Dalhausser

Todd Rogers called it “mind boggling.”Winning eight international beach volleyball tournaments in a five-month span is an amazing achievement.Rogers and Phil Dalhausser became the first men’s team to accomplish the feat Sunday when they defeated Brazil’s Harley Marques and Pedro Salgado, 21-18, 21-12, in the gold-medal match at the Swatch-FIVB World Tour’s Otero Open in Kristiansand, Norway.It was the fourth straight World Tour championship for the No. 1-ranked team in the … [Read more...]

Financial woes sink AVP Tour

The Association of Volleyball Professionals Tour, which has a long, illustrious history with the Santa Barbara community, has ceased operations for the remainder of the 2010 season due to financial hardship, the organization announced Friday.“On behalf of AVP staff we want to express our sincere gratitude to fans, players, partners and sponsors,” said Jason Hodell, AVP CEO, in a statement. “Words cannot express our profound disappointment.”The biggest names in the AVP and the … [Read more...]

It’s seventh heaven for Todd, Phil on World Tour

What a weekend for local pro beach volleyball stars Todd Rogers and Phil Dalhausser.The No. 1 team in the world wrote more pages to their incredible history together as a team by winning the Swatch-FIVB World Tour Grand Slam Tournament in Stare Jablonki, Poland on Sunday.They defeated reigning world champions Julius Brink and Jonas Reckermann of Germany for the gold medal, 21-19, 21-19, for their seventh international title this year. That equals the FIVB men’s record for most titles … [Read more...]

Todd, Phil keep rolling along, win 11th title

Like a train leaving the station, Todd Rogers and Phil Dalhausser started slow and gradually built speed.Once they hit the full speed they became a runaway train.The No. 1-rated team in the world overcame a first-game loss to Sean Scott and John Hyden and pulled out a 17-21, 21-17, 15-6 win to capture AVP Tour Long Beach Open on Sunday at Marina Green Park.It was their sixth title on the AVP Tour — where their match record is 34-0 — and their 11th championship overall this … [Read more...]

Bergmann Court to be dedicated on July 10th

In this classic photo by Bob Van Wagner, Henry Bergmann spikes a ball at East Beach in the 1970s.

The newly constructed Henry Bergmann Court, named after Santa Barbara beach volleyball legend Henry Bergmann, will be officially dedicated on Saturday, July 10, 2010 at 4 PM. The public is invited to attend. The ceremony will be followed by a legends volleyball game featuring noted players from Santa Barbara and Southern California.Santa Barbara’s East Beach has long been a popular beach volleyball facility dating back to the 1950’s with its swarm of volleyball courts on a broad stretch … [Read more...]

Todd, Phil take long road to gold medal in Prague

It’s not uncommon for Todd Rogers and Phil Dalhausser to roll through pro beach volleyball tournaments without losing a match.This weekend they took a more circuitous route to a championship. The local team rebounded from a second-round defeat and won five elimination matches to reach the top of the podium at the $190,000 Patria Direct Open in Prague, Czech Republic.Top-seeded Rogers-Dalhausser defeated No. 2 Alison Cerutti and Emanuel Rego of Brazil in the final, 21-15, 14-21, 15-11, … [Read more...]

Saraceno, McLaughlin join forces on West Beach

Rebecca Saraceno, this past season’s Big West player of the year from UCSB, will combine with former teammate Lauren McLaughlin to compete in the College Beach Volleyball Championships this weekend at West Beach.The women’s doubles event is being held in conjunction with the AVP Santa Barbara Open and is part of CBS College Sports Network’s Alt Games. The action kicks off with pool play on Saturday morning at 8:30, with the final scheduled for 1:30 p.m. on Sunday.The tournament, … [Read more...]

AVP Tour close to making return to Santa Barbara

After a two-year absence, the AVP Tour returns to Santa Barbara for a four-day event, April 29-May 2.The AVP Nivea Santa Barbara Open will take place at a constructed facility at West Beach.The last time the domestic pro beach volleyball tour stopped here local star Todd Rogers and Phil Dalhausser had just returned from winning the gold medal at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, China. They gave local fans more to cheer about as they scored a stirring come-from-behind victory over John Hyden … [Read more...]

Rottman sisters trample all-comers at East Beach

VB-tabber

The CBVA's Santa Barbara Tuesdays youth volleyball series attracted a season-best 60 teams this week, as local high-schoolers and soon-to-be high schoolers crowded the East Beach courts in the largest numbers so far this summer.On the girls side, the Rottman family couldn't be stopped. Emily, Dani and Alexis each won with different partners in their respective age groups. Emily and Dani teamed up with another set of sisters in the girls 18s and the 16s. Emily Rottman and Sammie Brown … [Read more...]